Shaun Groves
God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel and said, “The sin of the people of Israel is great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice.” -Ezekiel 9:9a
When God’s people did nothing about the bloodshed and injustice in their land, it marred God’s reputation. Their apathy misrepresented God to their neighbors as unfaithful and ignorant.
“They say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.'” -Ezekiel 9:9b
Years ago, studying Ezekiel, I was shocked to learn that God’s reputation is tethered to my action (and inaction). My life tells the world around me what God is like. Dwight Edwards explains the impact we have on God’s “name” or reputation this way:
“The great tragedy and heinousness of our sin is not primarily the destruction it brings to our lives but the crippling it brings to God’s name. Whenever a believer sins – whether it be the godless hedonism of license or the cold hardness of legalism – the worst result is that the glory of God is for that moment obscured; His name is made to limp. When our conduct nullifies our profession of God’s greatness, when our lives fail to reflect the presence of resurrection power, we profane God’s name.”
I read today about the shooting of Terence Crutcher. His car broken down. Police arrived. Terrence was unarmed and innocent. Hands in the air. Tased and then shot. His wife widowed. His children orphaned.
How many “isolated incidents” of white officers killing black citizens must there be before white Christians do something about bloodshed and injustice in their land? If our inaction continues, what will “they” say about our God?
But what can I do?
I’m at a loss for next steps. I have a great deal of compassion but no wisdom. I need help.
If you work in law enforcement, tell me what constructive action I can take? To support the majority of officers who are advancing justice impartially. And to hold accountable the many who are not.
If you are black, what can I do WITH you to bring comfort and real change?
Pastors, what is your church doing to combat injustice and to show your city that God has not forsaken it and is not blind?
Sheri says:
I’m a Deputy and I understand that innocent people are being shot but have you ever walked in a policeman’s shoes? Have you gone through the terror of someone reaching into their vehicle and not knowing what they may pull out? There are bad people in every profession. Thanks fellow “Christians” for your support
Shaun Groves says:
Sheri, I’m so thankful for brave men and women like yourself who are doing a great job protecting and serving commmunities of all races across the country. Thank you.
Confession: I was pulled over yesterday. I made sure to thank that officer for doing his job. I’m very aware how difficult and dangerous that job is.
Being critical of the “bad apples” is not a lack of appreciation for the good ones.
What can we do to show our support and appreciation to officers like you?
Sheri says:
One way to help is for the media to quit playing it over and over. This just stirs up more negative feelings and madness. I truly understand the “bad apples” part but I don’t want to “arm chair quarterback” a split second decision a fellow officer was forced to make. What about the white officers that are being killed? Where is there justice? White lives, black lives, police lives, they all matter. Who cares what color they are! God loves us all the same.
Thomas Dalke says:
I too am appalled at the such preventable tragedies, such things should not be taking place, and I cannot and will not blindly support those who due or would justify such things, for if we cannot scrutinize the blatantly wrong actions of a single police officer without being charged with scrutinizing the whole, how in the world will their ever be a just outcome or healthy change for all involved. For the us against them mentality only entrenches both sides. Policing no doubt has become much more dangerous and perilous and because of the inherent risks has given rise to the militarizing of what was once a solemn civic duty of preserving public peace and safety, and thus interacting with the public, (which I believe both the public and the police both benefit from) with viewing the public (or segments of it) as all possible “combatants”, and thus it is becoming more and more common practice to see police go from A to Z in deploying force (even lethal force), and often not as just response to escalation, or an unfolding violent situation which would demand as much, but simply as a preventative measure to protect oneself from a threat, whether the threat is real or imagined. Lethal force used be used only to stop what was once thought to be an imminent and potentially bodily grievous or life threatening action taking place, (or about to imminently take place), not as a means to control or subdue a “suspect.”